Hey all, well I got to spend this weekend working on my jeep. '85 cj-7. got some body repairs done, my kill switch in and some electral clean up.
so since I had been working on it so hard, I took it out for a spin around the neighborhood. no trails, just streets.
Well I have known that the frame had rust problems, and a I had been offroading with it without problem.
well while driving around I with through a dip, nice and easy but it was still bumpy, and I hear a POP! I thinking thats not normal so I drive the 2 blocks back to the house and park it in the garage. I start looking around and there it is, just in front of the drivers side motor mount the frame broke clean through. its now offset by a half an inch. Needless to say, its not moving for awhile if ever.
so now here I sit, wondering what I should do. should I:
A)buy a new bare frame and begin work, cost $2000
B)buy another klunker with a good frame, put two into one cost $1000-$2000
C)buy a decent one keep old one for any usable parts and junk the rest, cost for jeep $3000-$5000, money made on parts sold $800 +/-
wadda ya think?

if you have the equipment and skills (welder) or a friend who does, you could buid your own frame for fairly cheap. Using 2x4"box tubing either 1/8 or 3/16" thick, it would cost like 150 maybe and you could build it yourself pretty easy

I agree.

Get the 2x4 and go at it..you could build some platforms out to the side of the frame for things to bolt on if you dont want them to be permanant...unless you have a way to bolt something to the middle of an 8 foot long 2x4..I have never been able to figure out a good way to do that.

I am going to build one this summer to replace my willys frame..there is nothing wrong with my current one...Its a jeep thing, I think.

If you dont know how to weld..learn
If you dont have a chop saw..buy one..it will still be cheaper.

Well I know how to weld and I have be thinking of doing that. I might do some repairs and fix the area while I try to figure out what to do. I could do that fairly cheap.
I dunno about building a whole new frame though. that would be a he!!ofa lot of work. Don't know if i trust myself THAT much.

I transplanted my CJ to a YJ frame (2.5"x4" rectangular tube) which cost me $400. In retrospect I wouldn't do it again though. For one thing, the YJ frame has a TON of brackets that I had to cut off (I left only the front tube crossmember, crossmember above the rear axle, and the rear spring hangers intact... EVERYTHING else was cut off) and second I'm not happy with the width of the YJ frame in back. Puts the springs apart too far which is nice and stable, but really hurts rear flex. It would have been just as easy and likely cheaper for me to make my own plus I could have set the frame width to whatever I wanted. Live and learn I guess. Unless you can find a cherry CJ frame near you for cheap I'd recommend making your own from scratch. The prices for aftermarket frames are insane :eek: so don't even bother considering those.

:beer:

Well I think I may have found a good frame for about $350. I still need to look at it though. Has anyone done the job of taking all the stuff from one to another? any suggestions?
thanks

Originally posted by surveyboy
Well I think I may have found a good frame for about $350. I still need to look at it though. Has anyone done the job of taking all the stuff from one to another? any suggestions?
thanks

the guy that bought my cj frame was gonna do that, PITA if u ask me. as for me im building a frame, probly cost around 150 when im done with all the mounts and crossmembers, if you got the skills then go for it, way stronger and u can make it the way you want:smokin:

If the frame you're going to look at is crap, I have a very-cherry
86 cj7 frame for sale... $350 and it's yours. almost zero wheeling
time, I'm going full-custom, so this one is up f/s..

I live in San Jose though, but delivery is an option...

email me..

--Sherpa (You could be driving again in just a weekend)

Hey surveyboy - sorry to hear about your frame problems.

I know you have a CJ, but thought you may wanna check out this tech article from a guy in my area who swapped YJ frames on his heep. Might give you some good tips. Remember, the swap isn't impossible, nor does it have to be too expensive!

Good luck with whatever you decide :)

http://www.bc4x4.com/chrisw/projects/frameswap/frame.asp

Well I started tearing into the broken area. here's a pic
http://www.csupomona.edu/~sdmiller1/Apr16_05.jpg

the cut going the length of the frame is from me. there was a halfway good cover welded up there before.

Thanks for the offer on the frame. but I have decided to get one from another guy.

I am planning on trying to repair the area for now. and when I get a nice week or so I plan on doing the swap.

thanks for the votes of confidence.
surveyboy

surveyboy---does that Jeep have a shackle reversal?

Nope, no schackel revesal. However, since I am going to eventually be putting a new frame with it, that would be a good time to do it.

why do you ask?

because a shackle reversal puts more strain on the front of the frame....when you hit a bump the front part of the leaf pack is now "fixed" with an SR so more shock is transmitted into the end of the frame....flexes the frame more....CJ's are known to crack up behind the tire near the top part of the curve on the frame. They sell a curved steel brace that gets welded in there to beef it up. A friend of mine in Moab during the Safari has the SR on his 82 CJ7 and he hit a step with his front tires and next thing you know anti-freeze is leaking out the front....now maybe loose motor mounts or not enough clearance in the first place caused his issues but I wonder if that SR frame flex had alot to do with it.

well I am back on the road, and heres the photos of what I did.
broken frame see above

frame pulled together and first reinforcement piece:
http://www.csupomona.edu/~sdmiller1/jeep/Apr18_04.jpg

frame put back together and working:
http://www.csupomona.edu/~sdmiller1/jeep/May01_01.jpg

thanks for the confindence to do it!